“I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King…Thus says the Lord…Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” —Isaiah 43:15-16,19

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” —2 Corinthians 5:17-18

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Do you see imperfections, inadequacies, past mistakes or hurts? Or do you see yourself as one completely and lavishly loved by God? He has reconciled us to Himself in Jesus. We are a new creation in Christ.

I love this quote by Elisabeth Elliot:

“If you dwell on your own feelings about things rather than dwelling on the faithfulness, the love, and the mercy of God, then you’re likely to have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Our feelings are very fleeting and ephemeral, aren’t they? We can’t depend on them for five minutes at a time. But dwelling on the love, faithfulness, and mercy of God is always safe.” —Elisabeth Elliot

“God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” —1 John 4:9 (NLT)

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,from whom every familyin heaven and on earth is named,that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being,so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” —Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV)

Are you weary today? Do you feel unloved, discouraged, or alone? Perhaps this Christmas is not a time of rejoicing and excitement but one of grief, loneliness, and heartache. I am praying these words of truth for you. That you might KNOW this immeasurable, unfailing, incomprehensible love of God, and be strengthened with His power at work in your heart, mind and soul.

Bask in the immeasurable, unfailing, incomprehensible love of God today!

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” —Ephesians 2:4-9

He is rich in mercy…

His love is great…

His grace is immeasurable…

What amazing gifts God has given us! We can experience and enjoy His rich mercy, great love and immeasurable grace not just at Christmas, but every moment of every day if we know Jesus as our Lord and Savior!

“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” —John 1:9

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” —1 Peter 2:9

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”—Revelation 22:16

“There are two daysprings in the world’s past and future history. One is when Jesus Christ came into the world to shine His light in our hearts. The second will be when He will come again in glory as the bright and morning star. We shall then be indeed as shining stars of varying degrees.” (Complete Word Study Bible Dictionary)

Is Jesus shining bright in your heart and life this Christmas season? Be encouraged today that in Jesus you have been called out of darkness and into His marvelous light! The True Light has overcome the darkness of the world and the darkness of sin in our hearts.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” —Romans 8:1

“Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died —more than that, who was raised — who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?…No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” —Romans 8:34-39

Oh what good news for our lives! Nothing, nothing, nothing…can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord! If you call Him Lord, walk in the reality of this truth as one who is loved completely, not condemned.

”Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” —Philippians 2:5-11

“He humbled Himself…” does humility define my life as a believer in Christ? Humility is the acknowledgement that I am utterly dependent upon God—I am a sinner in need of a Savior. Sin decieves us into believing we can do it all on our own; it’s independence. Will you bow your knee and humble yourself before the only One who is highly exalted, the Name above all names, born to take away the sins of the world?